Toad Raising.

[Lozuufy]

Up here hatching is seasonal.....poor us..

That's why I haven't been kicked out of the house (yet)

 

[Karen523]

The Toad is a 4 step process,

The first Generation is Cx crossed to CX,, That is known as a frog

Next Generation is a Frog to a Dixie Rainbow, This becomes a lizard
Then the lizard is crossed back to the CX.

That gives you a toad, it is 7/8th CX and 1/8 Dixie rainbow. That little Rainbow gives a bigger bird that does not eat itself to death.
They are huge with more dark meat to white meat ratio. They are not lazy slobs.

The hard part was keeping CX's alive long enough to breed them. The Toads are not problem. They seem to live longer than the CX's.

I am interested in following your model to make Toads, but I have some questions.
Where did you get the CX for the first generation? And where did you get the Dixie Rainbows for the second generation?
For the second generation, was the Dixie Rainbow a rooster and the Frog a hen? Or does it matter either way?
For the third generation, was the Lizard a hen and the CX a rooster? Or does that matter either way?
How many CX did you start with and how many lived long enough to breed?

 

[Birdinhand]

I am interested in following your model to make Toads, but I have some questions.
Where did you get the CX for the first generation? And where did you get the Dixie Rainbows for the second generation?
For the second generation, was the Dixie Rainbow a rooster and the Frog a hen? Or does it matter either way?
For the third generation, was the Lizard a hen and the CX a rooster? Or does that matter either way?
How many CX did you start with and how many lived long enough to breed?

I'm curious about which strain of CX was the base as well. CX seems to be a term referring to a remarkably wide range of strains. on one end of the spectrum you have the industrialized version that has been bread for one purpose, to turn grain into meat at the expense of quality of life for the bird. these birds lay around and will find the shortest path between the waterer and the food and park there and funnel food and water in till they can't move. they grow a minimal amount of feathers by harvest and have seemingly low viability past 8-10 weeks, making it hard to imagine successfully breeding them. on the other end of the spectrum is the COBB 500, an active spunky bird with a sweet disposition that has *almost* a normal amount of feathers by 8 weeks, will forage if allowed to free range and runs and spars and carries on with a reasonable quality of life leading up to harvest time. it would seem that depending on which strain of CX was used for the base of a Toad, it could have a significant effect on the outcome.

 

[duluthralphie]

I got mine from Hoover's \.

They advertise them as being ready to process in 6 weeks, and they are. My first batch did just what you said, I bought a second batch the same year and changed how I raised them which changed how they acted.

I reduced the feed. I forced them to walk to water and feed. Some did sit around and only eat what was given to them. Others learned to free range to eat.

I carried leg bands with me all the time I put leg bands on any bird I found further from the tractor and feed than before, the 8 birds with the most leg bands got to stay alive. 4 roosters and 4 hens.

Even at that they almost died out on me.

I had one rooster and one hen come spring. I got a few eggs and I only got 5 chicks as I recall. These were the frogs. I saved them all and bought my CX to eat again.


I was going to breed the CX to a Rainbow rooster to try and get the larger legs I wanted, and the larger frame overall. I kind of wanted a sustainable meat bird. The Rooster I was going to use died on me, and of the 5 only the Bert Survived. I was forced to breed him to 2 rainbow hens.

I got a bird that was "Okay" but not what I wanted. Out of that years CX I saved a few more over winter. I breed them to a rooster that lived again just one. But I am now at 7/8ths CX which is the make up I have now. Some work some do not, I am hoping by selective breeding I can keep them going.

I have Bert the breeder from last year still alive he will be 3 next month. The one by the LP tank. However, the young Bert I was using died yesterday. I can not use the old Bert to breed with due to an old wrestling injury. Last year he got into a rooster fight and his vent was really opened up and maggots got into it. I cleaned it and saved him but I doubt he is fertile or could breed.

Here is his dead son:





He had the color is why I chose him, he is lying on the top of the crematory. Excuse the junk in the background the crematory is in a bad area high crime and all..

I have a brother of the young Bert in with the gals now, I only have on spare left. I hope these chicks all live. The one in there now is all white. I wanted the color in the Toads.

I hope to keep it in,, The SOP wants color, I get to write the SOP for now.. I hope those of you with them try to keep some color in them.

I will be setting toad eggs tomorrow again.

Nothing more to add..

Oh my CX I started with never got many feathers, It took a long tme for them to get feathered and they were never heavy even in our cold winters.

I should have written this all down, but I didn't it is just in my head. I am glad to see People like MomOfplenty that keep good notes.

 

[BantyChooks]

What happened to the young Bert? Just up and died?

Bummer about that.

 

[memphis]

Yeah....what happened to Bert the younger....really is a bummer....

 

[duluthralphie]

What happened to the young Bert? Just up and died?

Bummer about that.

I think so when I checked them yesterday noonish, he was warm with no rigor mortis yet.

It is an up hill battle to take anything with so many genetic defects against longevity into them and make a long lasting bird without changing the body type too drastically

 

[BantyChooks]

I think so when I checked them yesterday noonish, he was warm with no rigor mortis yet. 

It is an up hill battle to take anything with so many genetic defects against longevity into them and make a long lasting bird without changing the body type too drastically

I'm rather surprised you haven't had more losses than you do, but it still stinks to lose them.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

sorry to hear about bert

 

[duluthralphie]

sorry to hear about bert

Young Bert ,,the next Bert,, not THE BERT